Link Love

News Across the World

Afghanistan: “Prosecutors, family members and human rights advocates vehemently disagree with the suspects’ description of what happened to Lal Bibi, the young woman. They say there is little doubt that she was abducted and raped and that there was no marriage. They also challenge the idea that any marriage in such circumstances could be legitimate or exonerate the rape. Forced marriage is illegal under Afghan law, said Gen. Mohammed Sharif Safi, the military prosecutor in Kunduz.” Afghan Rape Case Turns Focus on Local Police – NY Times

China: “The controversy online started on June 20 when someone posted on the Shanghai Number 2 Subway Line official Weibo account – Chinese version of Twitter – a picture of a female passenger wearing a revealing dress with the comment: “If that’s what you wear on the subway, then no wonder you will be sexually harassed! There are perverts riding the subway every day and we can’t catch them all. Girls, you’ve got to respect yourself!”” Shanghai subway to scantily clad women: No wonder you’ll be sexually harassed! – Behind the Wall

Jordan: “The ordeal of a 14-year-old girl who was kidnapped and raped repeatedly for three days has infuriated Jordanians, especially when her attacker agreed to marry her to avoid going to jail.” ‘Rape-Law’ triggers fury in Jordan – AFP

Thought-provoking

“I realized that the libertarian individualism I had been raised on is at its heart selfish. It says “I have what I need, screw those who don’t.” There is a painful inability to see outside a privileged box. I may have been fortunate enough to have been raised in a family that was never in financial need and that sent me on to college on a scholarship, but others weren’t so lucky. I realized that we have a social responsibility to the society we are a part of, and that things like public schools, roads, and unemployment payments are a part of that.” Happy Fourth: On Libertarianism, Citizenship, and Social Responsibility – Love, Joy, Feminism

“AN OLD friend emigrated from Russia to New Jersey when he was small. When asked if he spoke Russian, he would say he speaks “kitchen Russian”: the kind of things your mum says to you around the house. It’s a good phrase to describe the competence of a lot of immigrants in their “heritage language”. ” Kitchen Russian, baby Danish and the two-state solution – The Economist

“Walmart may be proud of its history of low prices, but that’s only because most members of the general public are completely unaware of the terrible consequences that must be paid for such “savings.” The truth is, there’s a real cost to those “low prices” Walmart promises — and our communities are paying for it.” The True Cost of Walmart’s Low Prices [Infographic] – Care2

Religion

“A man’s ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.” – Albert Einstein AntiTheism: Did Albert Einstein Believe In A God – 957Chatterton

“What if you went to them with a headache and they told you it must be imaginary because they had faith that there was nothing wrong with you and that your problem was that your faith wasn’t strong enough and your headache was just a test?” If Doctors Behaved Like Priests – Rosa Rubicondior

““If you died today, do you know where you’d spend the rest of eternity?” No, I don’t, and neither do you. So stop asking such a presumptuous question as this that implies you have some insider knowledge that the rest of us don’t. And seriously, if your faith is entirely founded upon the notion of eternal fire insurance, you’re not sharing testimony; you’re peddling propaganda.” Ten Cliches Christians Should Never Use – Christian Piatt,

Equality

“Take an adolescent or a teenager, preferably with already-skewed body image issues, at a time when they are physically transitioning from childhood to adulthood, and heap on the shame and guilt. Tell them how sinful their body parts are. Tell the girls that they need to reserve the “gifts” God gave them for the man that He selects to be their husband. Failure to do so means giving away “a piece of themselves” to random, stumbling men. Then, tell them how easy it is to cause men to stumble, to force them to be hyper-vigilant in their Quest to Be Non-Offensive to Everyone.” The Ugly Side of Modesty – Friendly Atheist

“When we stop teaching boys and men that “going it alone” indicates how manly they are, and we start telling them it’s OK to get help, their lives will improve. And so will the lives the their coworkers and families.” We Need to Teach Men to Ask For Help – Role / Reboot

“A Tampa woman whom we only know as R.W., was raped. She was treated by the rape crisis center, who gave her two emergency contraception pills, one to be taken immediately and one to be taken 12 hours later. When she reported the rape to the police, they uncovered an arrest warrant on R.W. for failure to pay restitution and failure to appear. After she was arrested, a Hillsborough County guard confiscated her second pill, claiming it was against her religious beliefs.” “Conscience Clause” Gone AMOK – Rape Victim Denied Morning After Pill By Prison Guard – RH Reality Check

Health

“Overcooked meat is tough because of what happens to the fat, protein, and sugar molecules; they get fused together, making them difficult to cut, chew, and digest. Cooking muscle meat at high temperatures and with dry heat toughens the meat, destroys nutrients, and creates carcinogens.” Don’t Overcook Your Meat! – The Primal Parent

“If you are late for work one day, what do you do? Do you beat yourself up for being so weak, then decide that seeing as you’ve blown it today you might as well be late everyday, and for every appointment? Or you have just messed up a work project, or assignment, or presentation – what ever. Do you then say “Blow it – I don’t care – I’m just going to give up and do bad work from now on”?” When you mess up on your diet – What do you do next? – Julianne’s Paleo & Zone Nutrition

“I’ve been putting off writing about male-to-female compliments because, quite honestly, it’s touchy. I crave hearing compliments within my relationships, but I also know that when I’ve gotten them, I still feel dissatisfied. In fact, the compliments given to me by men I’m notdating tend to be the ones that stick.” The Dating Game: Compliment Weak, Part III – The Beheld

“I actually didn’t even realize that some of my bra problems were related to torso length until recently when I started finding bras in the correct size that were still giving me these issues. So without further ado, I’ll tell you what the issues are then we’ll get into why they’re related to torso length (some might not be that obvious)” Torso length, height, underarm fit and lift – Braless in Brasil

“But some people don’t. Some women manage to sidestep the very grown-up myth that the only things worth doing are things that are safe, and understood by those around you. Some women repeatedly dive head first into uncharted waters, learning bit by bit how to identify a risk worth taking. Some women are not afraid to fail a little bit before they succeed. These are fearless women.” 7 Things Fearless Women do Differently – Colored Girl Confidently

“Despite your amazingness, worthiness and beauty – you will never be able to get every person you ever come in touch with to love you, or for that matter, even like you. And that’s ok. Truly it is.” You Can’t Make Everyone Like You – Beautiful You

Blogging

“I tend to think this is a particularly Millennial affliction and not simply just my neurotic cross to bear. The idea of having limitless potential with which many of us were indoctrinated from an early age means that you can be anything you want when you grow up. It also means that, by its very nature, it’s impossible to fulfill. You can’t reach the limit of limitless, but damned if I (we) don’t try.” How Ambition Is Ruining Your Life – Generation Meh

“However, there are hidden benefits to focusing on side projects. Indeed, I think being the kind of person who regularly invests a chunk of their free time in side projects will tend to come out ahead over people that simply work more hours at the office.” Day Jobs vs Side Projects – Scott H Young

“Most importantly, remember that introversion, like extroversion, is not only a natural leadership trait—it’s an immensely valuable one. Introverts are “persistent, diligent, and focused on work,” Cain says. “Give them a difficult problem to solve, and they’ll work harder and longer than extroverts.” Introverts also have “a creative advantage,” because “a crucial part of being creative is being able to go off by yourself and think things through,” she explains. And a Wharton study reveals that introverts actually make better leaders because of their ability to delegate successfully.” Introverts in the Office: How to Work Well in an Extrovert’s World – Forbes

Relationships

“Just…talk to each other. Sometimes it’ll be easy. Sometimes it’ll be hard. Sometimes it will end in laughter, sometimes in tears. Sometimes it might not end at all. Sometimes the end will be a new beginning. Sometimes talking will lead to an end (But an end isn’t always a bad thing.)” Come Talk to Me – Silence, Cupcake

“Next, it worries me that you say you don’t want to “fight” about this. Does that mean that you don’t think you have the right to express your opinion or concerns? Or that you’ve tried in the past to express yourself, about this or other matters, and found that it always turns into a fight? Does he always dismiss your concerns as “no big deal?” Have you gotten into a pattern of swallowing your feelings about important matters like this just because you don’t want to “fight?”” Help! He Wants to Move – But I Don’t – The Daily Muse

“We believe that all sex should be something anyone chooses for themselves, based on sound, realistic information. In order to do this, it is vitally important to be able to distinguish between the facts and the myths about what is safe. All of us, at one point or another, has firmly believed that something is true or real, only to find out later that it just isn’t anywhere close to the truth. Here we present some of the most common myths about sexuality, and the truths lying behind them.” Misconception Mayhem: Separating Sexual Myths from Facts – Scarleteen

“By listing and communicating the things you appreciate about your partner, you’re re-establishing a bond built on respect, admiration, and acceptance. Instead of cutting down differences, you revel in them. Rather than focusing on small mishaps in the present, this exercise forces you to reflect on positive experiences in the past.” Count Your Blessings: How to Appreciate Your Partner – Engaged Marriage